Operation check for automatic molding presses



w c. J. WESTIN April 27, 1943.

' OPERATION CHECK FOR AUTOMATIC MOLDING PRESSES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 5, 1940 73 We j Mim April 27, 1943. C. J. WESTI N' 1 2,317,839

OPERATION CHECK FOR AUTOMATIC- MOLDING PRESSES Filed July 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Char 66m]. Wes Z9131,

Patented Apr. 27, 1943 OPERATION CHECK FOR AUTOMATIC MOLDING PRESSES Charles J. Westin', Philadelphia, Pa, assignor to F. J. Stokes Machine Company, a

of Pennsylvania corporation Application July 5, 1940, Serial No. 344,173

9 Claims.

' My invention relates to the automatic molding machines such as presses suitable for molding articles from thermoplastic or thermosetting materials in which a succession of individual articles, or a succession of batches of articles, are' molded through the application of heat and pressure.

' More specifically, my invention relates to an "operation check or control means actuated by the proper ejection of each of the articles or batches of articles in succession from the mold,

and serving to control the motive power of the press and continue the press in operation so long as an article is properly discharged in each cycle, but stops the operation of the press upon failure to properly discharge an article in any cycle.

For carrying out these purposes, I provide adjacent the offtake or discharge end of the press or molding machine an adjustable conveyor located so as to receive and convey away from the machine articles which have been molded in the machine and properly ejected and discharged therefrom. Adjacent this conveyor I provide a source of light arranged to shed a more or less concentrated beam or ray of light across or adjacent to the conveyor. Also adjacent the conveyor and opposite or juxtaposed to saidsource,

In another embodiment of my invention, the passage of a properly ejected molded article along the conveyor serves to reflect a beam of light upona normally inactive photoelectric cell, and the cell operates to continue the operation of the press through another cycle or until there is a failure to discharge an article in any cycle.

This application is, in part,. a continuation of -my application Serial No. 263,820, filed March 24,

Various forms of my operation check are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing one form of operation check applied to one form of automatic molding press;

Figure la illustrates a modified arrangement of conveyor, light source and light-sensitive cell,

employed in another'form of operation check according to my invention;

Figure 3 is a circuit diagram illustrating a ,modified control circuit for use in connection with the arrangement shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating a circuit arrangement for use in connection with the arrangement shown in Figure 1a.

1 provide a light-sensitive element on which the beam or ray of light from said source falls, or is reflected, subject to being diminished or cut oif or reflected by one or a plurality of molded articles from the machine passing along the con- 'veyor. The light-sensitive element controls the source of power for driving the press and con- .tinues the operation of the press from one cycle to another each time an article is discharged therefrom, but operates to stop the press upon failure of the press to discharge an article in any cycle. By preventing operation of the press until it is properly cleared in each cycle, serious damage to the press by jamming is avoided.

One embodiment of my invention consists in .the provision of suitable means to discharge a molded article as ejected from the mold in a desired or predetermined direction, guiding the article through or over a conveyor so as to reduce or eliminate the light value of a light source affecting a light or color sensitive element connected into a control circuit and interlocked with the switching mechanism of the power circuit for driving the press, the arrangement being such that the power circuit will be interrupted and the press stopped whenever a molded article is not properly discharged in any cycle of the press.

Referring to the drawings, for the purpose of illustration only, I have shown in Figure 1 the details of construction of an automatic press with one form of my operation check applied thereto,

but it will be understood that the operation check may be applied to other forms of automatic presses. The automatic press is provided with a support or base I on which the .various parts are mounted. The press is driven from a suitable source of power illustrated by the electric circuit 2 driving a reversible power-motor fi througha controller 4, the controller 4 being driven by the control motor 3 through a suitable drive rep-' resented by the belt 6.

Press motor which meshes with aworm-gear .9, having on its inner surface screw-threads l0 cooperating with screw-threads II on ram I2. Ram It has connected thereto a frame l3 which is raised. and

lowered together with ram l2, thereby furnishing means for lifting the molded part out of the mold cavity. Shaft I carries at its outer end'a valve 14 which controls the supply of molding material from a hopper or other storage space I5 through a chute or other feeding device It to a mold cavity indicated'at l8 and formed between the-lower end punch 2 carried by ram l2 and the upper face of the stationary body or platen l9. Air jets 25 are provided to discharge the,

5 drives shaft I carrying worm 8 veyor 21. Air jets 25 are operated at predetermined points in the molding cycle through a valve controlled by controller 4-so as to furnish a large volume of air at sumcient pressure to discharge the molded piece as it is lifted out 01' the mold cavity by bottom ejector 23 or lsstripped from the punch by the top ejector (not shown).

Adjacent the mold cavity I 8 there may be provided a stripper 20 pivotally mounted'on shaft 2I by means of lever 22 which carries on the op-.

posite side 01' pivot 2| a projection or cam face 23 arranged so asto be engaged by a cam roller 24 carried on frame I3 and thereby stripper 20 is moved against the pressure of a spring-22a to a position over the mold cavity I3 where it assists the ejecting means and the air jets 25 through the light beam. conveyor 21 consists of a plate or support member I04 having longitudinal slots I'I therein through which project bolts I02 with which cooperate winged nuts I03 for adjustably securing the conveyor relative to the mold cavity I3. on plate I00 ismounted the conveyor proper which is formed as a chute and 1 consisting 0! a bottom wall formed of curved wires or a curved sheet I04 along which the molded articles M, which have been properly ejected and discharged from the machine, are guided by a guide consisting or a top plate on wall I having depending sides IBM and M51; embracing the bottom plate I34. Guide I05 is adjustably supported upon plate I04 by screws 103 to accommodate diflerent sizes oi. molded articles. By such an arrangement of adjustablQ members a tunnel or chute is provided, conveniently adjustable to suit anymolded article,

which will constrain the molded article M to travel along surface I04 and thereby vary the value or the light beam described below. Conveyor 21 may, however, be or any convenient type such as a chain or belt or disk or other traveling part, which receives the articles as they are discharged Irom the press and carries them through the beam of light which controls the photoelectric cell.

Mounted adjacent conveyor 21 is a lightsource shown as consisting of an electric bulb 23 en 1 closed in a suitable housing 23a and connected across line'2. Opposite light source 23 thereis provided a light-sensitive element such as a photoelectric cell 30 enclosed in a suitable housing 30a and arranged to receive light-beam 3| from source 23.

The light-sensitive element 30 may be any one or a number of such devices now available on the market and extensively used in a variety of applications for counting or checking operations. Through my invention the light-sensitive element is made to act regardless of size, shape or color 2,317,839 flnished molded article from the mold into conconveyor.

ejecting and discharging cooperating with the Control motor 3 is connected across line 2 in series .with a switch 32 which is .biased as by a spring 33 to closed position. Relay winding 34 is connected across line 2 in series with light-sensitivev element 30. The relay comprising elements 32-33-34 is of the timedelay t in which the contacts close quickly and open slowly.

The controller 4 for controlling the operation of the power motor 5 may be 01' any suitable construction for controllingthe circuit to the motor 5 to operate the press through successive cycles automatically. The controller may assume a variety of different forms, but for the purpose of illustration, the controller is shown as consisting 01' a rotary drum 4a driven by the con- I stant speed control motor 3 and carrying suitable insulated conducting rings or segmented rings for accomplishing the desired switching operations, either directly or through suitable relays. I

The up* relay U Qormotor 5 is controlled by rings a and e on ciintroller 4, and the down" relay D for motor 5 is controlled by rings a and b of controller 4. These rings may be formed with different segment arrangements to provide for a curing period when the mold .is closed, or to open the mold for a breathing period during each cycle. The segments of rings b and c should not overlap.

- ring4b and a broken ring 4c having a gap 4d formed therein, these two rings being connected together by suitable jumper connections. The brushes for rings 4b and 4care connected in parallel to the contacts on relay 32-33-34 byv wires 35. 'With the arrangement as shown, controller rings 4b and 4c normally complete theenergizing circuit to motor 3. through the wires 35, but the circuit to motor 3 is interrupted at one point in each cycle 0! operation of the press when gap 4d moves into a position under the brush associated with the ring 40. In this posiof an article by properly mounting the light tion of'controller 4, the circuits to relays U and D controlling power-motor 5 are also interrupted at gap 4d if switch 32 remains open,' and motor 5 will stop, it being noted that the circuits for relays -U and D are connected in parallel with motor 3 and controlled by either ring 40 or switch 32. It'will be understood thatforeach revolution of the drum 4a or the controller, the circuit I to power-motor 5 iscontrolled to drive the press through a complete cycle or operation to mold and discharge therefrom 'a'molded article. The arrangement is such thata molded article is discharged from they press at the instant, or just before the instant, that gap 4d moves into position under the brush for ring 4c. The beam from light source 28 normally'energizes the photoelectric cell 30 which in turn normally energizes winding 34 01 relay 32-33-34 and maintains the'contacts of this relay normally open.. The passage of an article through chute 21 momentarily deenergizes winding 34 and permits the closing of contacts 32 which remain closed long enough for gap 4d to move past the brush for ring 40, thus continuing the energization of motors 3 and 5 through another cycle.

The operationof my device'is believedto'be. clear from the foregoing description; A starting switch 2a is closed and connects the line 2 with control-motor 3,'power-motor 5, and controller 4. If the safetyswitches or devices are in proper position, the cycle or molding. operation starts upon operation of press-motor 5, caiusing valve. I4 to The controller .4 also embodies a continuous v I supply a charge of molding material from hopper i through chute IE to mold cavity l8. At

the same time, ram, 12 and frame l3 are lowered until punch H2 enters mold cavity 18 and compresses the charge therein. As soon as the required pressure for closing the mold and forming the molding compound has been built up by the forward action of motor 5, a suitable limit switch Sd, or similar device, stops motor 5 for the period of time required to cure'the molding material.

Switch Sd is shown in position in the lower part of Figure 1 to be operated by frame I3, but it may be operated by any other suitable part of the press. This switch is also represented in the cirouit diagram of Figure 1. This time period may be only a few seconds for small and light-walled articles, while for large and heavy pieces several minutes may be required. Curing is accomplished by heat supplied from heating means embodied in the two mold parts in the usual manner. After the elapse of the curing time, which may be determined by controller 4, or by a separate time-controlled controller, the controller 4 starts motor 5 in the reverse direction by energizing relay U through controller ring D; the mold is opened, and the molded article is lifted out, either by punch H2 or ejector 26, and at the proper moment the air jets from nozzles 25 discharge the piece through conveyor 21. With complicated pieces, there sometimes is danger of these pieces sticking either on punch H2 or ejector 26 and, in such cases, use is made of stripper 20 to cooperate with the air jets from nozzle 25. V

A suitable limit switch Su, shown in the lower part of Figure l as being positioned to be opened by frame [3, opens the circuit of up relay U and stops motor 5 in case the circuit of relay U is not opened by controller 4 before frame l3 reaches switch Su. This switch is also represented in the circuit diagram embodied in Figure 1. The molded article passes along conveyor 2'! and interrupts or partially interrupts or diminishes the beam of light passing from light source 28 to light-sensitive element 30, and thus effects the closing of switch 32. Simultaneously, with the discharge of the articl from the press, or immediately following such discharge, the circuits to motor 3 and to relay U are opened at gap 4d. However, where an article is properly discharged, these circuits remain completed through contact 32 which remains closed long enough for gap 4d to pass from under the brush. The operation of the press is thus continued through another cycle. If, however, an article sticks in the press,,

or the supply of molding material runs out, relay 3233--34 remains energized, holding contact 32 open, and the circuits of motor 3 and relay U'are interrupted at gap 4d, whereupon both motors stop and controller 4 stops in a positior. where the circuits of motor 3 and relays U and D are open and can be closed only by closing switch 32. The operation of the press is thus stopped until an attendant discovers and remedlesthe disorder. After the disorder has been remedied, the press may be started again by manually inserting a molded piec into chute 21, thereby interrupting beam 3| and causing operation of switch 32.

numerals. The photo cell 30 is connected to control a relay 36, a source of power represented by the battery 2b being included in the circuit. The armature 36a. of relay 36 is normally biased to closed position, but the energizing current flowing through the cell 30 maintains the armature contact in normally open position. Armature 360. controls an energizing circuit for relay 31 which circuit includes a source of current represented by the battery 20. The armature 31a of relay 31 is arranged to short circuit the wires 35 leading to rings 4b and 40 on the controller drum 4a.

Armature 31a is normally biased-to open position as shown. Relay 3l is of the time delay type which closes or picks-up quickly and is slow to release. g

Operation of Figure 3 will be understood from the foregoing description of operation of Figure 1. The normal circuit arrangementis as shown in Figure 3 where relay 31 is de-energi'zed and armature 31a is released. In the normal operation ofythe press, a molded article will be discharged from the press and will pass through the beam 3| at a time just before or simultaneously with the instant the gap 411 in ring 40 moves under the brushassociated with this ring, and interruption or variation of the beam 3| causes relay 36 to release and close the circuit of relay 31 for an instant. This results in the closing of armature 31a. for a period of time suflicient to continue the operation of motor 3 and allow the gap 4d to move beyond the brush of ring 4c. If no article is discharged in any cycle, motor 3 will stop due to interruption of its circuitby gap 4d.

While I have shown the lamp 28 and the cell 30 arranged so that the beam 3| traverses the chute in a horizontal direction, it will be understood that these elements may be positioned so that the beam traverses the chute in a vertical or semi-vertical direction. 'The essential con sideration is that the beam shall traverse the chute so that it will be varied by the passage of rectly upon the cell and be interrupted or intercepted by the molded article, I may so arrange The control circuits and rings for controlling rangement parts corresponding to similar parts -in Figure l. are indicated by the samereference the source of light and the photo-electric cell that the beam does not normally impinge upon the cell, but when a molded article moves into the path of the beam, the cell responds to light reflected from the molded article. In Figure la, I have illustrated an arrangement which opcrates in this manner. The bottom wall I04, and the top wall H05 of the chute are the same as in Figure 1, except thatthe top wall I05 has an aperture formed therein, and the aperture is covered by a light-tight casing I01 which is divided into two compartments by a partition l08. The lamp 28- is mounted in one compartment, while the photoelectric cell 30 is mounted in the other compartment, thetwo elements being so mounted that the cell 30 cannot receive any direct light from the lamp 28. Also, the inner surfaceof the chute l04-l05, as well as the inner surface of the casing I01, is blackened to prevent reflection of light from these surfaces and thereby affecting the cell 30. As shown in Figure 10., when. a

molded article M passes along the chute, light is reflected from the article and a portion of this reflected light falls upon the cell 30 and is sufficientto operate the cell. It is not necessary that the article M be totally reflective, but the arrangement will operateeven where the light reflected from the article M is of a..diifused,na-

ture; Instead of using a visible light, the lamp "may emit infra-red rays if desired, in which case the cell 30 would be selected to be responsive rangement, the cell 30 controls a relay 38 which has an armature 38a normally biased to open position, but arranged to short circuit leads 35 when the relay is energized. Relay 38 is of the time delay type which closes quickly and releases slowly.

In the normal operation of Figure .4, the cell 30 is not energized, and armature 38a is released.

At the instant that gap Id comes under the brush associated with ring 4 or just before this instant, a mold article M passes along the chute and light reflected from the article energizes the cell and operates relay 38 to short circuit leads 35. This short circuit continues for a short interval of timesufllcient for the gap id to pass out from under the brush associated with the ring 40. Should the press fail to discharge an article for any reason, the relay 38 would remain unoperated and the motor 3 would be stopped due to the interruption of its circuit by the gap 4d.

While I have described my invention in connection with a mechanical molding press driven by an electric motor, it is obvious that .my device would be just as efiective in connection with a hydraulic or combination hydraulic and mechanical press. In the type presses just referred to, the pressure exerted by the ram is obtained either from a hydraulic accumulator system controlled by valves or by some form of power-driven pump. It is evident that my invention can be modified without departing from the principles involved to control hydraulic valves ifused, or the opening and closing of pump motor circuits, or to control any other type of prime mover.

Where the conveyor assumes the form of an inclined chute as shown in Figures 1 and 1a, the

molded article influences the photoelectric cell I only momentarily in its passage along the chute,

and for this reason it is desirable to employ 'a time-delay relay in the control circuit to maintain the circuit of control motor 3 closed for a time suflicient for the gap id to move past the brush associated with ring 40. By carefully timing the operation of the controller and the press, it might be possible to use ordinary relays controlling the circuit of -motor 3, but the operation is more dependable where a time-delay relay is employed, as described.

What I claim is:

l. A machine for molding articles from plastic molding material comprising in combination, a mold, means for operating said mold through a complete cycle to mold an article and discharge said article fromsaid mold, said means being effective to operate said mold throughout a complete cycle when once started, means for conveying said article from said mold along a predetermined path, means-for directing a beam of the molded article as the article canvases claim 1 wherein the means for conveying the molded articles from the mold comprises 'a chute for directing the articles along a'predetermined path. and wherein said light beam is arranged to traverse the passage in said chute.

3. A machine for molding articles according to claim 1 wherein the light-sensitive element is arranged in the path of said light beam, and wherein passage ofa molded article along said conveying path operates to reduce the amount of light received by said light-sensitive element.

4. -A machine for molding articles according to claiml wherein the light-sensitive element is shielded from the direct] rays of said light beam, but is positioned to receive reflected light from passes through said light beam.

5. In an automatic press for molding articles of plastic material, the combination of a mold having a movable part for opening and closing the mold, power means for operating said movable part, a controller for controlling said power means to operate said movable part through a complete cycle, an electric motor for driving said controller through successive cycles, an energizing circuit for said motor including contact elements on said controller for maintaining said circuit closed except for an interval at the end of each cycleof said press, a normally open switch for closing said motor circuit independently of said controller, means for conveying a molded article away from said press along a predetermined path, means for directing a beam of light across said path, a light-sensitive element responsive to changes in light conditions in said beam produced by passage of the molded article along said .path, and means including a timedelay relay controlled ment upo'n passage of a molded article along said path in any cycle for operating said switch to closed position and maintaining said switch in closed position during the interval when saidposition by mechanical means but is normally heldin open position by the time-delay relay,

said relay being normally energized by said lightsensitive element and being de-energized by the passage of a molded article along said conveying path.

light acrosssaid path, a light-sensitive element responsive to a momentary change in light conditions of said beam produced by passage of a molded article through said beam, and means including a time-delay relay controlled by said light-sensitive element 'in response to-said momentary change in. light condition, for starting another cycle of said mold operating means. i

'2. A machine for molding articles according to 8. In combination, a moldjmeans for operating said mold through a succession of cycles to mold an article and eject said article from said mold at the end of each cycle, means tending to stop said operating means foriapredetermined time during each cycle, means for conveying said ejected articles from said mold along a predetermined path in spaced relation, means for'directing a beam of light across said path, a lightsensitive element responsive to the momentary change in light conditions of said beam produced by passage of a molded article through said beam,

"and means including time-delay means controlled by said light-sensitive element in response to said momentary change in light condition for preventing the stopping of said operating'means.

9. In an automatic moldingmachine. the comby said light-sensitive elesaid mold through a complete cycle to mold" an article, an electric circuit for controlling the agar-7,339 bination of a mold, motor means for ooerating energization of said motor means, control means for maintaining said circuit closed substantially throughout the cycle of said mold and for interrupting said circuit for a portion of said cycle, means for ejecting the molded article-iron said.

mold, an electrically" operated time-delay' relay having contacts for controlling said circuitindependently of said control means, and means sub- J; WESTIN.

-ject to momentary'control by said molded article 

